"Farewells and Encounters: The Transitioning Stars of Destiny" is the 7th episode of the 5th season of the Sailor Moon anime, the 1st one of the season's main arc, and the 173rd overall. It aired in Japan on May 11, 1996.

Contents

Summary

Usagi feels that it's going to be a long, lonely year: Chibiusa has returned to the 30th century and Mamoru is going to study abroad for more than a year. Her friends try to cheer her up, but 4 new Sailor Guardians appear, with unknown duties.

Plot

Three guys are shown talking about giving their best to find "her". Then they go through a door that leads to a concert stage and the show begins.

At the Fruits Parlor Crown, the 5 girls talk about a new musical band, Three Lights and each one's favorite group member, Ami included, but she blushes when her friends realize she has a crush on Taiki and is also a Three Lights' fan. Then, they ask Usagi who she thinks is the most handsome, but she answers "Mamoru". She has a sad look on her face and reveals that her boyfriend is leaving to study abroad; and, added to Chibiusa's departure, has made her feel upset and lonely. She says she'll be okay, but none of the girls are sure about it.

At the airport, Mamoru hears the last call for his flight and Usagi still hasn't shown up. At the last minute, she gets there and promises him that she'll wait for him. He says he loves her and hands her a little box: It has a ring in it. He places it on her finger and then both kiss. The moment is interrupted by Three Lights' arrival at the airport and the crowd's excitement about it. It bothers Seiya and the others, but when he passes by Usagi and Mamoru, he feels something about her that calls his attention, like a bright shine.

In Outer Space, a woman with a golden Sailor Senshi outfit discovers a carrier of a true Star Seed and shoots five yellow projectiles. Those were aimed at Mamoru's plane and impact it, causing a big explosion of light. In land, Yaten says that a star has just lost its bright.

Usagi has met with Rei, Makoto, Ami, and Luna again at the cafe, but this time they argue about Usagi: It seems that she doesn't understand the meaning of her new ring. Minako joins them with big news: A television show is being filmed at the park and the Three Lights are there too.

Unfortunately, the park is so crowded the girls can barely see the actors, so they decide to sneak through people anyways. Usagi on the other hand, can't pull that off and is left behind. Alone, she tries taking another way after she sees an "employee only" section, but she's busted by Seiya. He recognizes her as the girl at the airport, but she doesn't recognize him, which astonishes the young man. Usagi thinks that he's hitting on her, which makes Seiya laugh. He calls her "Odango" and leaves.

One of the actresses of the show, Alice Itsuki, is on a break to check her make-up. After she finishes, a mysterious short woman shows up telling her that she is Chuuko Nezu, a producer of Ginga TV. The actress says that it's not the right time for interviews if she wants one she'll have to wait. However, Nezu is not willing to waste time and takes off her clothes, revealing an entirely new outfit.

Usagi hears a scream and quickly figures out where it comes from. She witnesses how Chuuko Nezu removes Alice's Star Seed: It has a double-pyramidal shape and shines intensely, however it soon loses its bright, much to Nezu's disappointment, who says that it can't be the True Star Seed. Usagi transforms into Eternal Sailor Moon and faces the little woman. Nezu is surprised by Sailor Moon's interruption and tells her that she is also a Sailor Senshi: Sailor Iron Mouse. A telephone box materializes from nowhere and Iron Mouse leaves in it, but first, she tells Sailor Moon that because the Star Seed has lost its bright, its carrier will turn into Phage. She doesn't know what she was talking about, but then vines appear around Alice and transform her into a monster that calls itself Sailor Buri.

The phage attacks Sailor Moon, but she doesn't want to fight her, as the monster is still Alice Itsuki. Suddenly three women in black clothing introduce themselves as the Sailor Starlights: Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker and Sailor Star Healer. Sailor Moon is even more confused now with these new Sailor Senshi, as she hasn't been told about any other Sailor Senshi outside of the Solar System, but the new characters react quickly: Sailor Star Fighter uses Star Serious Laser on the phage, effectively knocking it out. She is about to deliver the final blow on the monster when Sailor Moon shielded it saying that it's still a human. They argue about it, and finally, Sailor Moon's will makes the Eternal Tiare appear. She then performs Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss, and with it, she recovers the Star Seed's bright and turns the phage back to a human. The Starlights soon leave the scene, before Usagi could talk to them, jumping through the trees.

At the end of the day, Usagi meets again with her friends but she is not convinced about telling them about those mysterious new soldiers that have recently appeared. Rei asks her if there is something wrong, but Usagi's responses are vague, so Rei gets mad and they start to argue like always.

Changes

Changes From the Manga

Mamoru's Golden Crystal was taken by Sailor Galaxia right in front of Usagi's eyes. As she saw this, she fainted but Seiya managed to catch her. Usagi is so traumatized by it that she forgets seeing him die.

Sailor Iron Mouse made her first appearance in a Three Lights concert and was instructed to search for the Sailor Crystals. She is killed in her first appearance.

Phages don't appear at all. All the targets of the Shadow Galactica are Sailor Senshi and their allies.

Dub Changes

In the Korean dub, the Sailor Starlights' outfits were edited to cover their abdomens.

The opening sequence was changed for this episode. The changes made were the inclusion of Sailor Galaxia and the Sailor Starlights' full bodies. This opening was used for the rest of the season.

The ending theme was changed to the second version of The Wind, the Sky, Surely.... Up to the previous episode, the ending theme had been that song's first version.

This is the first time the Sailor Starlights and their male civilian identities as the Japanese idol, The Three Lights, are been voiced by their respective voice actresses in the Viz Media English Dub as Seiya's current voice actress Melissa Hutchison imitates the late Shiho Niiyama's performance when she plays as him except for their Sailor Starlight forms where they spoke in their normal voice.

In the Viz Media English Dub, Eternal Sailor Moon finally says the phrase during the execution of her Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss when she heals the Phage to their normal state.

Unlike in the DiC/CWi English Dub where Mamoru calls Usagi as a "Meatball head" due to her odango hairstyle, in the Viz Media English Dub, Seiya calls her a "Bunhead" instead of "Meatball head" much to Usagi's annoyance. This also happens in later episodes onward and as in the next episode shows Seiya calling her as a "Moon bun" when he and Taiki became a part of Usagi's class.